Broken Heart Prayers
Rise during the night and cry out. Pour out your hearts like
water to the Lord. Lift up your hands to him in prayer, pleading for
your children, for in every street they are faint with hunger. Lamentations 2:19 NLT
Dear Child,
I see your broken heart, and I hear every messy word spoken as you pour out your heart in My presence. Yes, your loved one has walked away from Me for a time, and it hurts. Now is not the time to lose hope or go into denial; now is not the time to say, "This is just the way it is." Now is the time to lift up your hands in prayer for the very ones that are causing the tears. Just like the author of Lamentations was heartbroken over the plight of Israel as he watched the devastating effects of the exile, so you are weeping as you see the disastrous consequences of your loved one putting their faith on the back burner.
And I see them; every move they make. And just as My love never wavered for My people back then, neither has My love changed for your loved one today. And just as I had a beautiful plan and purpose for the restoration of Israel, so I have a plan and purpose for _________. My plan is to prosper them and not to harm them; My plan is to give them a hope and a future. When they come looking for Me, they will find Me, and I will end their captivity and restore them to Myself.
Right now, you are in the night watches. Weeping may stay through the night, but joy comes in the morning. The celebration of their return is what you have to look forward to, but for now, while you are in the night, I want you to learn to persist and persevere. I want you to acknowledge your pain to Me. I want you to experience My love. I want you to know that I am all you need. I am not taken aback by your fears or your anger. I don't get tired of the messiness. I don't care what your prayers sound like. If all you can do is cry, then cry before Me.
Staying in the pain is not easy. I know you will want to stop thinking about how much it hurts, which means you will want to stop praying. You will say, "Why does God want me to keep talking to Him about my pain and brokenness? Why do I have to keep praying the same thing for my loved one? Doesn't He know how hard it is to carry this burden?" Yes, I know, and that's why I want you to come to Me. Because I will give you strength to carry it and I will give you hope so you will hang in there until the morning. I will provide you with peace so it will not always hurt. Denial or putting them out of your mind will accomplish the same thing you might think, but neither of those things carries My power. You are praying for a reason. I am a living God who is listening and working. I am a wonder-working God who is able to accomplish much. It may not be how or when you want it to happen, but that's not a reason to stop praying. When you pray and ask, I will give you My heart for the one you are praying for. So not only will you have strength, hope, and peace; you will have a love for them that denial or putting them out of your mind can never give you.
So again, I say, pour out your heart like water to Me; lift up your hands in prayer for _________ and plead for their restoration. Pray you will know how to love them during this time of grief and turmoil. And don't give any thought to what you sound like or if you are saying all the words you think will help Me understand what you want. I already know, and it's your heart I'm looking at, and it's your heart I'm listening to. I love you more than you can imagine and I love ________ just as much. You are My kingdom kids!
You have My heart,
Abba Father
"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper
you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you call
upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek
me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found
by you," declares the Lord, "and will bring you back from captivity..."
Jeremiah 29:11-14 NIV
...weeping may remain for a night, but rejoicing comes in the morning.
Psalm 30:5
Riley Clemmens: Broken Prayers